Saldierna-Martínez, R.J., M., Contreras Olguín, L.G., Flores Montijo & A., Hernández-López (2025). Larval to juvenile development of Opistognathus rosenblatti Allen & Robertson, 1991 (Perciformes: Opistognathidae), from the Gulf of California, Mexico. CICIMAR Oceánides. 40(1-2): 15-26. DOI: 10.37543/oceanides.v40i1-2.320.
Ricardo Javier Saldierna-Martínez 1, Mauricio Contreras Olguín 2, Laura Guadalupe Flores Montijo 2 y Armando Hernández-López 3
The development of Opistognathus rosenblatti from larvae to juveniles is described using 60 specimens (3.6-47.0 mm LP). Adults were captured in the Loreto Bay Marine Park, Gulf of California, Mexico. They were conditioned and bred in captivity. Changes from larva to juvenile in morphological, meristic, and pigmentation pattern characters were described from specimens preserved in formalin solution (4%). Meristic data of larvae and juveniles were 27-29 total myomeres, XI, 13 dorsal fin, II, 13 anal fin, 8+7-9 caudal fin, and 5 hypural bones. The pigmentation pattern of the larvae from preflexion to postflexion stage consisted of: A cephalic region with small melanophores on the dorsal surface of the brain, on the lower margin of the nasal capsule, on the lateral surface of the lower and upper jaws, on the nape, and the gular region; abdominal region with a series of melanophores on the intestinal sac margins, including the swim bladder; the trunk region with few melanophores in the last myomeres; caudal region with three series of stellate melanophores on the dorsal, ventral margins and medial-lateral section between myomeres 1-14. Other stellate melanophores were present throughout this section, which interlaced towards all margins, providing a very light brown coloration on this section of the body. The juvenile is yellow-orange, with small punctate melanophores that extend across its entire body surface. It also exhibits four discontinuous series of brown spots (circular to oval) extending from the ventral-posterior margin of the eye to the height of the tips of the bases of the dorsal and anal fins. The conjunction of pigmentation patterns, myomeres count, and fin meristics is a distinctive identifier for O. rosenblatti larvae and juveniles, as it is not observed in the larvae of other fish species.
Palabras clave: Opisthognathid; ornamental fishes; Fish larvae; Larval stages; Gulf of California
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